There Are Billionaires, and Then There Are Billionaires …
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DIRECTIONSBulletinBulDletin fromfrom theI NationalNationalR DDirector,irector,E UFCW CanadaC • VVol.ol. IV TNNos.os. 8-10 • OOctoberIctober O29, 2004 • ISSNN 1496-9009 S There are billionaires, and then there are billionaires … f you are a member of UFCW Canada, the odds are very strong that you work for one (or possibly more!) of Cana- da’s elite list of billionaires. The fact is simply that the majority of UFCW Canada members are employed by compa- Inies owned or controlled by the select few Canadians who made the Forbes magazine list released earlier this year of the richest people in the world – those whose worth exceeds US$1-billion. [Note: the Forbes study was published in U.S. dollars; fi gures here have been converted to Canadian dollars at the rate in effect at the time of the study’s release.] Near the head of that list, as usual, is Galen Weston, patriarch of the Loblaw empire, whose net worth is listed at more than $10-billion. UFCW Canada members across the country have helped Weston amass this fortune, through their hard work at Loblaws, National Grocers, Superstores, and more. UFCW Canada members em- CANADA’S “CLUB BILLIONAIRE” 2004 ployed by the Overwaitea Save-On chain of stores are also making RANK RANK WORTH their contribution to Canada’s third CAN. WORLD NAME AGE ($BIL.) CITIZEN RESIDES SOURCE largest fortune, the $6.2-billion 1 15 Ken Thomson* 80 23.1 Canada Toronto Publishing attributed to Jim Pattison. Several 2 44 Galen Weston* 63 10.3 Canada Toronto Loblaws et al. other major UFCW Canada employ- 3 94 Jim Pattison 75 6.2 Canada Vancouver Overwaitea et al. ers are represented on the list of 4 103 Jeffrey Skoll 39 5.9 Canada California eBay Canada’s 18 billionaires (see box). 5 124 James, Arthur, John Irving -- 5.1 Canada Saint John Oil, gas, etc. Internationally, there are now 6 159 Barry Sherman 62 4.0 Canada Toronto Apotex et al. nearly 600 members of the billion- 7 205 Charles Bronfman 72 3.4 Canada Montréal Seagrams et al. aires’ club. Not surprisingly, many 8 216 Michael Lee-Chin 53 3.2 Canada Burlington Finance 8 216 Paul Desmarais 77 3.2 Canada Montréal Power Corp. et al. of these are from the United States, 10 342 Ted Rogers 70 2.3 Canada Toronto Communications including the well-known richest 10 342 Emanuele Saputo* 67 2.3 Canada Québec Dairy individual, Bill Gates at $62.4-bil- 12 377 Darryl Katz 42 2.0 Canada Edmonton Pharmacies lion, followed closely by Warren 12 377 Wallace McCain 74 2.0 Canada Toronto Maple Leaf Foods Buffett at $57.5-billion. But a look 14 406 Jean Coutu 76 1.9 Canada Québec Pharmacies at the top-10 richest people shows 15 472 Harrison McCain** 76 1.6 Canada Florenceville McCain Foods something else: fi ve members of 15 472 Terry Matthews 60 1.6 UK Ottawa Technology the Walton family are in those high 17 514 Guy Laliberté 44 1.5 Canada Montréal Cirque du Soleil ranks, each with more than $25-bil- 17 514 Stephen Jarislowsky 78 1.5 Canada Montréal Finance lion to their names. These are the heirs to the mas- *& family sive Wal-Mart fortune, and they, **deceased since study released along with two lesser Waltons Source: forbes.ca (originally quoted in US$) also in the billionaire club, have a combined fortune of more than $142-billion. In this socio-economic structure, embraced by business and government, the rich will always get richer. They believe that that is the way it should be. But we believe that there has to be more for working people – fair wages and benefi ts, and good workplaces that treat workers with dignity and respect. To the Wal-Mart Waltons, the richest family in the universe, our message is simple – recognizing the right of workers to form a union is a right with which they must stop interfering. In solidarity, Michael J. Fraser National Director Avis full-time workforce grows At a ratification meeting in late October, workers at Avis Car Rentals in Toronto voted in favour of a new three-year collective agreement including raises and the creation of full-time positions. The approximately 150 members of UFCW Canada Local 175 work at Avis’s Pearson International Airport and three downtown Toronto locations. Over the term of the agreement, members will receive wage increases totalling $2.10 per hour, and the company will create an additional eight full-time positions during the life of the contract. Members also receive increased uniform cleaning and shoe allow- ances, as well as improved vision care coverage. New contract language ensures modified work and accom- modation for members with medical conditions, and other new language secures full-time work for members of the bargaining unit in the event of a layoff. Labour veteran checks out For further details, contact Cheryl Mumford or Jennifer Tun- After more than 50 years of activism in the Canadian ney, UFCW Canada Locals 175 & 633 communications in Missis- labour movement, Brother Dan Gilbert has hung up his sauga, Ont. grocer’s apron and begun a well-deserved retirement. “I feel like I have done about all I can do for now, and it’s time to give others the opportunity to do what they B.C. Westfair adds more full-time jobs can,” the veteran negotiator. “Things have changed a lot over the years, especially in the way union representatives More than 11,000 members of UFCW Canada Local 247 ratified a province-wide agreement last summer with Westfair Foods in interract with members – but the one thing that remains British Columbia, covering members employed at Real Canadian constant through all the years is that we are here to serve Superstores, corporate-run Extra Foods stores, and the two West- the members and to meet their needs and expectations.” ern Grocers warehouse facilities. Brother Gilbert began his career as a clerk in the Lob- “It took a year of hard bargaining to reach this agreement, but laws store in Chatham in 1953, where he was a member I think it was worth the time spent,” says Local 247 president Gib of what was then called the Loblaw Workers Council. Whitlock. He rose in the store hierarchy from clerk to receiver to Highlights of the agreement include: assistant store manager, and became more active in the • wage increases ranging from $1.50 to $1.90 per hour over the council at the same time. term of the agreement • a 20% shorter wage progression for food clerks As the organization grew, so did Dan’s role in it, as he • sick time benefits that can be drawn in increments of as little became a union representative in 1962, and was elected as one hour at a time president in 1968. He oversaw its transition into the Un- • greater flexibility in determining one’s availability with an ion of Canadian Retail Employees (UCRE) in the 1970s, extra floating availability change as it joined the ranks of Canada’s house of labour, the • the opportunity for available anytime members to be sched- Canadian Labour Congress. uled a minimum of four hours more than restricted members Broadening its scope beyond just Loblaw employees, • changes to the schedule to be conveyed directly to the mem- UCRE merged with the Canadian Food and Allied Work- ber to avoid confusion, and ers (CFAW) as Local 1000A, eventually merging into • the creation of 75 new full-time positions Working conditions within the stores were also a major issue what would be the United Food and Commercial Work- and key items obtained include hand sanitizers made available to ers, or UFCW Canada, in 1979. cashiers, efficient floor mats, and bottles of water for cashiers. Local 1000A continued to grow from approximately “The inclusion of a Respect and Dignity clause in the contract 10,000 members it had at the time of the mergers to the will ensure fair treatment for all, and establish the importance of more than 25,000 members it has today. Dan left the Local 247 members in the company’s success,” Whitlock adds. local in the hands of new president Kevin Corporon in The inclusion of the Pitt Meadows warehouse in the master 1999 when he joined new national director Michael J. agreement was also a key to the settlement, including the ability of Fraser’s team in the national office as an executive assist- affected members to transfer to that location. ant. For more details, contact Dan Goodman at UFCW Canada Local 247 in Surrey, B.C. Please note revised contact details due “The UFCW Canada national office was very fortunate to the local’s offices having moved (see page 12). to be able to draw upon Dan’s decades of expertise and knowledge, particularly when it comes to sitting down with major employers at the bargaining table,” Fraser Brown Shoe workers win agreement says. “Dan’s expertise will certainly be missed.” Shoe warehouse workers at the Brown Shoe Company of Canada, located in Perth in eastern Ontario, ratified a new three-year col- DIRECTIONS 2 October 29, 2004 DIRECTIONS 3 October 29, 2004 UFCW Canada UFCW Canada lective agreement on October 22, with guaranteed wage increases and improved contract language. The UFCW Canada Local 175 members receive wage increases totalling 11% over the life of the agreement. A new full-time job classification of Shipper Receiver receives a rate increase of 13% over the three years. Company contributions to the members’ dental plan increase by 10% to 80%, bringing the membership contribution split down to 80/20.